Onsen etiquette in Japan: what hot springs actually say on their own pages

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Onsen etiquette guides tend to repeat the same list. We looked instead at what hot springs on this site say on their own official pages, and found that the rules really do differ from place to place.

What we looked at

• Base: 49 published hot-spring spots with etiquette notes from their official pages, checked 2026-09-24 to 2026-09-27.
• Method: text search on 2026-09-29, then a read of the matches. The numbers are "at least".

The basics, in the words of a village bath

Nozawa Onsen, whose public baths are used daily by locals, puts it simply:

• wash before bathing,
• keep towels out of the water,
• do not jump in,
• do not go back to the changing room dripping wet.

Tsurunoyu Onsen says the same about towels: do not put them into the baths.

Some baths have no showers

At some hot springs you cannot shower first, so read the notes:

• Zao Dairotenburo: the spring water flows straight through, so there are no showers, and soap and shampoo cannot be used. The water is strongly acidic: rinse before entering, do not scrub hard, keep it out of your eyes, do not drink it, and remove jewellery (metals turn black).
• Furofushi Onsen: there are no showers at the seaside bath, so wash in the indoor bath first.
• Goshogake Onsen: the main bath has taps but no showers.

Mixed baths exist, and they have their own rules

Ten of the hot springs in our data mention mixed bathing. Examples:

• Sukayu Onsen: the Hiba Sennin-buro is a mixed bath. Bathing wraps can be rented for men and women; wearing one is optional.
• Yubara Onsen Sunayu: mixed bathing. Women are advised to use a bathing wrap; swimsuits are allowed.
• Aoni Onsen: the rock-built outdoor bath is mixed, with women-only hours.
• Goshogake Onsen: all baths are separated by gender, with no mixed bathing (except the paid private bath).

Swimsuits: it depends

• Hirauchi Kaichu Onsen: bathing in a swimsuit or underwear is strictly forbidden.
• Yubara Onsen Sunayu: swimsuits are allowed.
• Akakura Takinoyu: in summer only, there is a mixed hot-spring pool where swimsuits are worn.

So there is no single answer. Check the page for the bath you are going to.

No photos

• Furofushi Onsen: photography is prohibited in the open-air baths.
• Naruko Takinoyu: photography is not allowed anywhere inside.

Tattoos

Rules on tattoos differ too, and the national tourism agency has asked facilities not to refuse people for a tattoo alone. See Tattoos and onsen in Japan.

Sources

• Etiquette notes for each hot spring: the official page linked on each spot page (checked 2026-09-24 to 2026-09-27)
• Counts in this article: Verified in Japan etiquette notes for published hot-spring spots, text search on 2026-09-29